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Top Hat, White Tie and Bomb Sight
Regular Prisoners * Colonel Hogan - Bob Crane * Corporal Louis LeBeau - Robert Clary * Corporal Peter Newkirk - Richard Dawson * Sergeant James Kinchloe - Ivan Dixon * Sergeant Andrew Carter - Larry Hovis Camp Personnel * Kommandant Wilhelm Klink - Werner Klemperer * Sergeant Hans Schultz - John Banner Semi-Regulars * General Albert Burkhalter - Leon Askin Guest Stars * Major Klopfer - Edward Knight * Willie - Monroe Arnold * Gretchen - Sigrid Valdis * Elsa - Thordis Brandt Synopsis The episode begins with LeBeau outside the barracks at night with a serving tray that was filled with strudel, the aroma of which soon attracts the attention of Sergeant Schultz. Schultz stops LeBeau and while pretending to berate him for being outside the barracks after dark, especially when the pair are constantly hit by one of the guard towers' searchlights, Schultz starts to eat the Strudel. As he does, Schultz answers LeBeau's questions about what Colonel Klink was up to. Schultz informs him, between bites, that Klink was planning to have the camp's barbed wire fence electrified to prevent any future escape attempts. After receiving this information, LeBeau goes back into Barracks 2 and informs Colonel Hogan and the others. Hogan's response is to stop all outside work until they can find a way to disrupt Klink's plans, especially as they needed to get in contact with an Allied spy to pass along some vital information. Later, Hogan and the others discover several Luftwaffe men working inside Hogan's office. After those men leave, he and the others sweep the room, soon finding several bugs. The prisoners quietly exits Hogan's office and starts discussing what they needed to do to get rid of the bugs. At this point Hogan comes up with an idea on how they can instead use the bugs that Klink had just planted to their own advantage. The prisoners then put together what was essentially a radio drama. From a script, Hogan claims that he was actually pro-German, to the pretended disbelief of his men, which was joyously believed by Klink. In their next "broadcast", Hogan seems to be telling the others that he was very proficient in the use of the Norden bombsight, but, because some of the prisoners "in the background" were singing the popular song, Roll Out the Barrel, Klink wasn't able to make out what Hogan was saying when he was describing the device to them. Klink soon informs General Burkhlater about what he'd heard Hogan claim via the bugs, about him being actually pro-German and knowing about the Nordon bombsight, which the Germans wanted to know for their own purposes. Burkhlater soon arrives at the camp and after refusing to allow interrogation tactics to be used on Hogan, he tells Klink about his own plans to get Hogan to become a traitor. Among his plan was to set up a dinner in Hogan's honor, which would include a couple of local girls would would help to persuade him to defect to the Germans' side. During the dinner, the prisoners uses it to pass along the vital information to an Allied spy while Hogan did everything he could to lead Klink and Burkhalter on. After the dinner is over, Hogan tells Burkhalter and Klink that he would give them plans of the bombsight from his memory. The next day, Hogan shows an eager Klink and Burkhalter the plans. Burkhalter is furious at Klink when he finds out what the plans actually were: the plans for a vacuum cleaner. Hogan then reveals that he at one time was a vacuum cleaner saleman for a company whose name sounded almost like Norden. An angry Burkhalter leaves, telling Klink as he does so to get rid of the bugs in Hogan's office. The devices are eventually removed, and the electrification of the fence is stopped, to the satisfaction of Hogan and his men. Story Notes * This is the fourteenth produced episode of the series, but is the tenth one to be shown on television. * This is Leon Askin's first appearance in the series as General Burkhalter. In the pilot episode he appeared as Colonel Burkhalter. * This is Sigrid Valdis' first of two appearances as a guest star during the series's first season. From Season 2 onwards, she appears in the series as Colonel Klink's second secretary, Hilda. She later fell in love and married Bob Crane in 1970, becoming his second wife. * Edward Knight as Major Klopfer is also a regular player/guest star for Hogan's Heroes - always as a German officer. * Klink's desk is shown at an odd angle. * The story's title is based on the 1930s era popular song, Top Hat, White Tie and Tails which was written by Irving Berlin in 1935. * Part of the story is based on Germans attempts to discover how the Norden bombsight actually work from American USAAF prisoners. * The Beer Barrel Polka, a popular song during World War II, was sung in the background to help mask a conversation in Hogan's office from Klink's bugs. * Lili Marleen, the title of another popular World War II song, was used as part of the code words that Colonel Hogan used to find the underground spy, Willie. Quotes After Colonel Hogan is discussing his plans to use the emergency tunnel so that he would warn an underground spy that the Germans might be planning a trap for him: * Newkirk: Colonel, don't you ever think about anything else but dames? * Hogan: Of course I do. But I fight it. --------------- As Kommandant Klink shows a just arrived General Burkhalter the new automated gate: Hogan (to his men as Klink and Burkhalter fall over each other as Kinchloe makes the now automated gates close using an electronic device): You know, I think I saw this act once--at the circus. ---------------- Outside Klink's office, after General Burkhalter has heard the tape which Klink's claims reveals Hogan knowing about the Norden bombsight, and decides to get him to reveal it to them: * Burkhalter: ...But is Hogan ready to tell us about the Norden? * Klink: I have been working on him. Even if I say so myself, (chuckles) when I turn on the charm, I can be irresistible. * Burkhalter: I have never had any trouble resisting you. ---------------- While Burkhalter and Klink continue to talk about what to do to get Hogan to reveal the Norden: * Burkhalter: Now let me see what we can do with Colonel Hogan. * Klink: I will have him brought here and we will start strenuous interrogation at once. * Burkhalter: Klink, you not only are irresistible, but you are also very subtle. * Klink: Thank you, sir! * Burkhalter: Like a broken leg. ---------------- As Klink complains about Gretchen paying too much attention to Hogan: * Klink: And what's the matter with me? * Hogan: Would you like us to make a list? ---------------- Klink is upset that Gretchen is dancing with Hogan: * Burkhalter: Colonel, may I remind you that we are here on official business? * Klink: Official business, yes. Monkey business, no! Bloopers External links * Top Hat, White Tie and Bomb Sight at TV.com * Top Hat, White Tie and Bomb Sight at the Internet Movie Database * Top Hat, White Tie and Bomb Sight episode capsule at Webstalag 13 * Hogan's Heroes Fanclub * The Hofbrau Television stories Category:Season One